Pursuits

Britney Spears, One Direction Have New Albums for Older Fans

Two pop acts try to stay relevant by targeting older fans
Britney Spears at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas on Sept. 21Photograph by Al Powers/Powers Imagery via AP Photo

Britney’s back. Back again. On Nov. 29, the 31-year-old pop star released her eighth studio album, Britney Jean, a Dr. Luke and will.i.am production. This isn’t a triumphant declaration that “Britney’s here to stay!”—that was the job of her 2008 album, Circus—it’s more like a comforting acknowledgment that she’s still alive. Britney and Jean are her first and middle names.

Instead of touring to promote the album, Spears has opted for a two-year residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, where she’ll perform a 90-minute retrospective of hits 48 times a year. Her first show is on Dec. 27, at which time her transition from virginal schoolgirl to bald paparazzi target to Celine Dion will be complete.